November 2009

Boris Johnson aide jailed over child porn

A young Tory has been jailed for six months after he admitted downloading sickening child porn.

Alister Cooling, 27, who writes for the Conservative Home website and campaigned for London Mayor Boris Johnson, owned films featuring girls as young as five being abused.

The pervert, who hoped to be an MP and featured on the BBC reality TV show Castaway, also downloaded a bestiality film.

Some of the films hit the highest level of the abuse scale used by police to grade child porn.

Sentencing Cooling at Croydon crown court last Friday, Judge Stephen Waller said: “The contents of these images are horrifying. Any right thinking person could not but be repulsed. By downloading this material you give encouragement to people who are filming the abuse and suffering of children.”

Cooling at first told police he downloaded the films by accident – but eventually broke down and admitted he was “obsessed”. The charges against him included making indecent images and possession of extreme porn. He will serve half his sentence in jail then be freed on licence.

On Castaway two years ago, Cooling, of Croydon, South London, was described as the “ultimate coach potato” and said he would miss his computer most while on the island.

A website Cooling used to bid for acting roles lists his friends as his “TV, computer and hi-fi” and gives his influences as television shows Buffy and Angel.